Lecture 12/09/2011- Dr Bruce Redman "Public Media"

What is Public Media?
A media whose mission is to serve or engage a public.

Who are the major players Australian Media Landscape?
ABC (founded in 1929 as a "nation building project"), ABC 2, ABC 3, SBS (launched in 1980 as a "multicultural" channel), SBS2, Triple J, ABC Radios

Who are the major players International Media Landscape?
BBC & 4 (Britain- Licence Funded), PBS & NPR(USA), TVNZ (NZ), CBC (Canada), DR (Denmark), arte (France), RTHK(Hong Kong), NHK(Japan).

Community Media in the Australian Media Landscape-
4ZZZfm.org.au
31 Digital- Community TV

What is Public Media's role in a democratic society?
It is media that is in support of public and democratic processes.

Public Media should have public value.
 'Public Value' (According to the BBC) is-
1. Embedding a ' public service ethos'
2. Value for licence fee/ or tax payers money
3. Weighing public value against market impact.
4. Public Consultation- Two way street. Influenced a lot by social media and advisory boards.

 Broadcasting Research Unit states that Public Media should contain the following traits.

• Geographic universality
• Universality of appeal
• Special provision for minorities
• Special relationship to the sense of national identity and community
• Distance from all vested interests
• Universality of payment
• Competition in good programming, rather the competition for numbers
• Liberate rather than restrict

What are the various functions of Public Media?

• Nation Building- NBNCo
• National Heritage- Anzac Day Parade, Nature, Historical Figures
• National Identity- Who are we?
• National Conversations- Sport

Commercialisation of Public Media-
BBC worldwide- commercial arm of BBC, makes around two hundred million dollars a year.
The World Game Shop- powered by rebel sport
National Datacast
ABC Commercial- ABC Shops etc

A key mechanism of Public Media is news and news CAFF.
For example:
41% of Australians get their news from the ABC
Each week 12.6 million Australians watch ABC TV.
The ABC is only source of radio news analysis and lengthy interviews with politicians.

Public Media News Style-

• Serious
• Broadsheet style (vs tabloid Style)
• Importance over interest
• Considered (not quick and unchecked)

This often leads people to thinking that Public Media is-

• Boring
• Elitist
• Limited Interest
• Poorly Presented.

The different aspects of Public Media-

• The Press- News etc
• Entertainment- Julia Show, Inspector Rex etc
• Utility- Weather etc
• Social-  Cooking etc
• Propaganda- For example CCTV and Fox News Channel

To do list and challenges for Public Media-

• Produce quality
• Maintain relevance
• Engage in the democratic process
• Be independent from funders and or journalists own opinions

Lecture 05/09/2011- Dr Bruce Redman "Commercial Media"

What is Commercial Media?

• Profit driven
• Not Government funded (for example Sweden) or licence funded (for example England)

Examples of Commercial Media:

• TV Channels except for ABC & SBS which are Public Media.
• Digital TV Channels
• Fox & Austar (Pay TV)
• News Limited (News Corp)
• Fairfax Media
• ARN
• Austereo

Commercial Media's main purpose is to be the "EYEBALLS & EARS" to advertisers and to generate audiences in turn generating profit.

The Main Players and Their Assets (including website links)

• News Limited- News Corp
  20 Century Fox, Fox Sports, Foxtel, National Geographic, Sky News, Harper Collins, The Australian, The Courier Mail, Quest, affiliated with the NRL.
• Fairfax Media
  Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times, The Age, Financial Review, Domain, RSVP, My Career.
• Nine Entertainment Co (Previously PBL owned by CVC Asia Pacific)
  Channel 9, GO, Gem, Ninemsn, Ticketek, Acer Arena, ACP Magazines, Australian News Channel.
• Southern Cross Media Group & Southern Cross Austereo
  Southern Cross Ten, Southern Cross Television, Austereo, B105, Triple M.
• Seven West Media
  Channel 7, 7Two, 7Mate, The West Australian, Pacific Magazines, Yahoo 7, The West Australian.
• Ten Corp
  Channel Ten, One HD, Eleven.
• WIN
  WIN Television, Ten Mildura, i98 Radio, C913fm Radio, TPG, Affiliated with St George Illawara NRL Team.

Commercial Media Form

• Subscription (Foxtel etc)
• Sponsored (Chanel 9 etc)
• Subsidised (for example Stephen Conroy's Government digital TV boost)

Commercial Media Function

• Propaganda
• Social
• Profit

We look at the "Hutchins Commissions" findings and compared these to current commercial media.
Furthermore we discussed the ethical wall which divides Commercial (Advertising/Sales) & Social (Editorial) types of Commercial Media.

Commercial Media Controls

• Government Regulatory Bodies
• Internet Censorship- Chinese Government has banned Facebook.
  - Egypt tried to close down the Internet as it was fueling the riots.
• Journalist Licencing - East Timor and Indonesia require journalists to be licenced to practice.

As media becomes more commercial we see the following happen.

• Dumbing down
• Tabloidisation
• The 'desire to please'
• "Mickey Mouse" third rate news

Challenges for Commercial Media

• Advertising revenue for broadcasters is down and sliding as the advertising dollar is now spread far more widely across different media entities.
• Loss of revenue= Less investment= Less money for quality productions.

Modernisation of Commercial Media

For a long time media outlets had very little way to tell which parts of their publications/broadcast etc where actually being accessed and used. With the onset of Commercial Media on the Internet these corporations now have the ability to see what sells. By monitoring what people look at online they have learned that tabloid beats genuine news no matter how important.

Business Solutions for Commercial Media

• Quality
• Greater competition
• Move existing customers to digital
• Paywalls

Alternatively we may see a shift from large corporate media dominance to media in the public sphere online for example wikepedia, crikey, perez hilton etc, all of which are largely focused on citizen journalism.

Column: Andrew Bolt, Read 05/09/2011

Her is a  link is to todays segment with Andrew Bolt on MTR radio.

MTR Radio today,September 5

I also stumbled accross this old column of Andrew Bolt's, posted in relation todays discussion on MTR. Interesting point of view and very relevent in Australia's current political arena.

Column - A tip for Quentin Bryce. Shush.

Online News: The Courier Mail, 05/09/2011

More human remains found at Beerwah site where police are searching for Daniel Morcombe

Let's hope that the find the rest of Daniel's remains are found so he can be laid to rest and his family can have peace. May justice be served.

Online News: The Courier Mail, 31/09/2011

High Court scuttles Julia Gillard's Malaysia solution for asylum seekers
It looks as if Julia Gillard will be going back to the drawing board in relation to the Malaysia solution, as this afternoon the High Court found the plan to be flawed.

Ralph Mayer slugged with $12,000 bill by Somerset Regional Council

This is so sad, when a Council can not keep its promise. Mr Mayer did the right thing by his community to help them out in a devastating time . Makes me angry because the council's behaviour will stop other people being good samaritans.

Lecture 29/08/2011- Dr Bruce Redman "Web News"

In today's lecture Dr Bruce Redman discussed web iterations and the current and future challenges of online news.

Web Iterations

Web 1.0- Information Web
The begginging of web. The progression of offline media, lots of information and advertising.
Web 2.0- Social Web (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace etc)
Networking and the development of Prod-Users (Producer Users)
Web 3.0- Semantic Web
Use of meta tags to deliver specific content. The focus becomes on the individuals and promotes hyperlocalisation.

We are currently in the ever developing Web 3.0. Will will begin to see the web packet information personalised just to us individually? We are already seeing advertising on sites like facebook personalised to our interests. This is just the beggining.


Current and Future Challenges of Online News

One word ENTITLEMENT.
Newspapers have come accross a challenge as they see the rates of sale of newspapers fall and the viewing audience turn to the web to read the paper. Online news for so long has been offered for free,  giving people a sense of ENTITLEMENT to the product. The future for alot of  journalists hangs on the outcome of newspapers charging a subscription fee to view their content online. Dr Redman showed us an example of how the UK Times is adding value to their product to charge for it. You can still read the headlines on the times for free but at some point you have to pay for TIMES+ . Not only does this offer you unlimited reading but access to other services, discounts etc. Will we see other newspapers take on the same process?

We watched this funny clip in our lecture, thought I would share it.

Online News: Ninemsn, 29/08/2011 6:45am

Bones are Daniel Morcombe's

May sincere condolences go out to the Morcombe family. I pray that these findings will bring closure to an agonising and horrific experience.

Media Use Diary

MEDIA USAGE DIARY

Usage Graph
Please click to view larger format.

Usage Table
Please click to view larger format.

Explanation of Categories
Online News- Most regularly Brisbane Times, Courier Mail and Ninemsn.
Facebook- General browsing and communicating with others.
Twitter- Writing and reading tweets.
TV- Shows, News, Current Affairs, ABC24 and Movies.
Daily Radio- Nova and ABC.
Googling/ Other Web Usage- Googling updates on news headlines, checking Hotmail and UQ email accounts, online shopping, and general web browsing.

General Analysis

Although I did not find my media usage surprising, I did find the order in which I use media to be interesting. I had not previously connected the pattern of behaviour that I use when it comes to sourcing information.

The main contributor to the way I use media is time. Due to uni and work constraints I find it very difficult to keep up with current news and social interaction. I find that I use media in shorter more frequent amounts often accesssing this information from my iPhone in between other commitments while out and about. Below I will dissect each media type and the way in which I use it.

Individual Media Type Analysis

Online News- I generally read the news online as it is more convenient than purchasing the paper and as opposed to the printed version it also covers breaking news which is normally not covered until the following day's newspaper.

Facebook- I find Facebook a great way of keeping in contact with friends and family. On occasion one of my contacts may post a status update that contains news information which prompts me to search news sites to find out the full story. Other times contacts will share direct links to online news sites.

Twitter- It is interesting to note that I didn't tweet before starting this coarse, but I can not imagine life without Twitter now. Twitter is a great way to keep up to date with the news. I follow different news outlets and have found that alot of breaking news is covered on Twitter. I also find Twitter useful for staying in touch with what is happening in JOUR1111 and a great way to communicate with my peers.

TV- Television normally fits into my relax/wind down time of the day. I like to watch current affair programs and Sunday night news documentaries but due to time constraints it is not always possible. I get home most nights after the 6:00pm news. Most of my television usage is to watch shows rather than accessing news.

Daily Radio- I listen to Nova Radio throughout the week. During my listening times I regularly hear the half hour news update. This often provokes me to find out more by means of googling and online news sites.

Googling/ Other Web Usage- The most common media in this category that I use would be email as I check my emails a couple of times a day, I also read some blogs, and Google information for around the house. I find online shopping extremely convenient and do this regularly through outlets like eBay and Coles & Woolworths online.

Conclusion

In the modern age that we live, we are continuously bombarded with information. It is through the process of interpretation that we listen and read what is interesting and useful to ourselves.

Overall I have found that most of my media usage in some way or another leads to me reading or investigating news. Whether it be signing out of Hotmail and being redirected to Ninemsn or a friend retweeting breaking news, I am always just a click away from another headline.

Online News: Courier Mail, 22/08/2011 2:55pm

Shoes match brand of Daniel Morcombe's shoes at disaperance.

Things seem to be developing at the search site.

As discussed in tutorial with Dr Bruce Redman.

What don't we know about this case?
How did the police know  to search at this particular location?
What information did they have to charge Brett Peter Cowan?

I wander if some of these questions will be answered in the next few weeks.

Lecture 22/08/2011- Dr John Harrison "Ethics in Journalism"

"Just because it's tacky does not mean it's wrong, there is a difference between tact & ethics"... this is the message todays lecturer Dr John Harrison had for us.

We looked at the following examples which have come under scrutiny and discussed which Advertising Codes banned them.

"Toyota Bugger Ad" was banned in New Zealand.


"Where The Bloody Hell Are You" was banned in Great Britain.


Some of the other controversial ad's we looked at:

"Sam Kekovich Lamb Ad"

Here is some more controversial ad's I have found:

So how do we work out what is unethical as apposed to bad taste?

Today Dr Harrison discussed the three frameworks (theories) which are use to disect the information we see.

Firstly Deontology, it relates to rules, principles and duties. This is the made framework used for those in Journalism & Communication fields.

Secondly Consequentialism is the theory of getting a good and or right outcome no matter what is done to get there. As long as the end justifies the means.

Finally Virtue Ethics is explained as "goodness which comes from good habits and dispositions of charcter".  Habits are "virtues" such as courage, justice, honesty etc. These are the "Golden Mean" of behaviour.

Online News: The Courier Mail, 22/08/2011 11:00am- 11:10am

Libya live - Gaddafi a dead man walking, regime crumbles

Information pouring in. Is this Gaddafi's last hours?

Very interesting to see Journalists are already dissecting the affect Gaddafi's demise will have on our fuel prices. 

Online News: Herald Sun, 19/08/2011 1:50pm

No Survivors Expected

Let's hope for a miracle. Thinking of all those at the ABC and their families who have been affected by this terrible accident.

Lecture 15/08/2011- "Telling factual stories with audio"

Today's lecture was an online audio clip comprising of interview with two radio presenters from ABC Local Radio; Richard Fidler & Steve Austin.

Some of the interesting points I took from listening to both Richard and Steve were:

• Radio is totally different to TV. When a listener hears radio it often seems to come from inside. It evokes internal thought.
• Radio producers are faced with the task of finding stories that will sustain the interview.
• Richard mentioned it is easier for him to do his job if he is genuinely interested in the subject that he is interviewing on.
• The talent/subject must feel safe and in a trustworthy environment, the host may guide the conversation but must give space for the subject to show their true colours. Moments of silence are alright and work powerfully in radio.
• Radio has maintained its value all the while other news methods are changing. Steve said that he believe this was because people are time poor and radio fits in with day to day life.
• Radio is the theatre of the mind, it is important to paint pictures to the listener.
• Remember to put your audiences needs/wants first.
• Search for human experience.
• Talk less and show respect by listening more.
• Some advice that was given to student was to stay immersed in news and the world, to keep an open mind, expose yourself to thought you might not agree with, keep things simple (the less complicated the quicker the audience response), and remember not to do anything on radio you wouldn't do in real life.

Online News: Herald News, 13/08/2011 10:50 to 11:10pm

Unbearably tough - Morcombe's father

Feeling for the Morcombe family at the moment. Let's hope they can have some closer and be told were Daniels remains are.

Lecture 08/08/2011-Dr Bruce Redman "Telling factual stories with pictures"

Today's lecture took a look at the use of pictures to tell a story. Dr Redman discussed the fact that pictures are everywhere from tv, newspapers, smart phones, street art, advertising, magazines, family portraits etc.
Pictures started to tell stories as early on in civilisation. We see examples of this in French  Cave  Paintings and Indeginous Cave Paintings. Early pictures are also found in Holy Books and Stained Glass.
The lecture also covered the developments of photo journalism, they are:

• Digital Capture & Upload
• Digitial Manipulation (Dove Video Example) I loved the quote at the end of the video clip "No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted".
• Digital Publishing & Photo Galleries

 Next we covered techniques and important elements of good photography, they are:

• Framing
• Focus
• Point of View & Angle
• Exposure (Light)
• Timing (Shutter Speed)
• Capturing the Moment- Crucial to good photo journalism.

Moving pictures covers the same elements with the addition of:

• Timing (Editing)
• Inclusion of Sound Dimension

Moving pictures in journalism has developed with the use of mobile phones and social networking sites.

Eetu Silanpaa said: "A picture has no meaning at all if it can tell a story".

Today I met Garry Burge

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to share with you someone I met today. His name is Garry Burge. He has Aspergers and he aims to promote a fair go for those with Autism & Aspergers.
I took this picture of Garry today for a photo essay assignment for COMU1999.

I also hope to use Garry's works as my subject for my story in JOUR1710. His aim is to create awareness in the rising rate of unemployment for those who have Aspergers/Autism and the lack of government assistance.

Garry works as a Service Support Assistant University of Queensland Library

Thanks Garry for your help today.

Tash

Online News: news.com.au, 09/08/2011 6:00am- 6:40am

London burns as 215 arrested for rioting


Image Courtesy of news.com.au



"Police and politicians insisted the disorder was the work of a criminal minority and not a sign of social tensions or security lapses ..." I wander to what degree this can be true? How wide spread do the riots have to become for authorities to acknowledge the different problems at hand. I'm not saying that I support this type of destructive behavior, but it is very interesting to note how quickly this civil unrest has been downplayed as petty crime. I'm just wandering if this will provoke the rioters more?

Government fails to gain traction in poll

So the question is do you think we will make it to the 2013 election, or will the current government dissolve before then?

Global uncertainty: Interest rates cut tipped as fear wipes billions from world markets

The last couple of days, I've quite literally wanted to put my head under my pillow and hide away from the world. I can't even begin to imagine how people with all their retirement funds invested in shares are feeling. I met a lady the other day who said in the last crash they lost the value of a house. Scary times!

TV: Four Corners ABC24, 06/08/11

The Guantanamo Trap

Interesting to watch the contrasting views of those involved with The Guantanamo Prison. Perhaps the thing I found most intriguing was that the Human Rights Activist that requested that the names of the detainees be released, was the very person who testified against US Navy Judge Advocate Matthew Diaz, the man who released the list to her, hoping to help her cause.

Backgrounder

Online News: news.com.au, 06/08/2011 8:11pm

Driver in 12-Person Car Accident tests positive.
This makes me physically I'll. How could any person be so careless. It's one thing to risk your own life due to such stupidity, but completely ridiculous to treat children with such disregard.

Online News: news.com.au, 03/08/2011 11:25pm

Mosman Bomb Threat

Watching this story develop. Sure there will be much more to come.

Online News: Brisbane Times & Courier Mail, 03/08/2011 6:30am-7:00am

Booming internet hits $80bn
Times are changing and this is the way of the future for sure. This week I brought my groceries online. If you had asked me a couple of years ago whether I would ever see myself doing that, my answer would have been no!

ABC to cut 100 staff and several shows, says union

Interesting times ahead for the ABC. I know it's just part of life, but it is incredibly sad that TV is reduced to what the majority of people want to see. Some programs may not be everyone's piece of cake, but sometimes it's those stories that need to be told. I agree with the unionist in one aspect, the ABC is risking diversity in the search for financial stability. Any thoughts?

Child sex slur 'disgusting': murder victim's mum

I believe it is extremely important for newspapers to be seen as HONEST & TRUSTWORTHY sources of information.  Even now in my early studies of journalistic research (JOUR1710) I am reading about the importance of double checking, and triple checking content. In this case the information had the potential to be defamation of character (which in my opinion it was) and unless the papers were 200% certain that the information was correct it should never have been published. Time to trim down the sensationalism and add a dash of integrity.

Pensioner strikes two holes-in-one within an hour at Oxley Golf Club

What a lovely story to end my news reading on. Great message included about using recreational activities to increase fitness and health. Great job Mr Young!

Image Source: The Courier Mail

Online News: Brisbane Times & Ninemsn, 02/08/2011 8:00am- 8:45am.

Mayors pleased with flood inquiry's verdict
Will be interesting to see how this blame game turns out? Any thoughts?

'Breakfast bet' killer's school strangling prank

I find it concerning that the friend who offered "to buy him breakfast" is not being charged for being somewhat of an accomplice or at least an encourager. Makes me sick really.

Lecture 01/08/2011- Rod Chester "Telling Factual Stories With Text"

Today's lecture "Telling Factual Stories With Text" was presented by Rod Chester a feature writer for the Courier Mail. He gave the class an insiders look into the industry. His presentation was an overview of the different styles of writing for features and columns. He also showed us the importance of following the inverted pyramid in news writing. I found his lecture to be very informative.



DIAGRAM PRESENTED IN LECTURE




SIMPLIFIED DIAGRAM



 

Online News: Brisbane Times, 27/07/11 8:20-8:50am

Killer expected to die during his rampage: lawyer
Read more: Just wandering out loud here… but is it alright to get off lightly by claiming insanity in this case? It is clear that Anders Behring Breivik had a very clear pre-meditated plan about what he was going to do, even to the point that he did not think he would actual live to the point of reaching the island.

 An interesting point  to make from this story delves into the notion that countries and or people that lack intercultural communication skills are at risk of being involved in dangerous conflict.

Watch and wait before treating Norway's trauma victims

Perhaps psychology students could better analyse this report but it is interesting to note that the Journalist paints a very vivid picture of the disturbance that would be being experienced by the survivors. “or flashbacks, such as sudden images or sounds of blood being spattered or the gunman opening fire, or the look of fear in a victim's eyes, will be common in the first weeks but should gradually fade away.”My questions are: Firstly, is it healthy or ethical to project this disturbing picture to the world so that others are caught in these negative thoughts? Secondly, is this statement purely sensationalism? Lastly, considering the essence of the story being about the recovery of mental health for those dealing with trauma, is it contradictory in its use? My answer to all of the above is YES.

Lecture 25/07/11- Dr Bruce Redman "Course Introduction"

Today’s lecture dissected the course profile and spoke of the importance of not only learning but partaking in Journalism. We learnt what Journalism is from a range of people’s viewpoints. I particularly enjoyed this attached Ron Burgundy clip that was played at the end of the lecture, it is an interesting take on enthusiasm.

Just a little bit about me...

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Nastassja but most people just call me Tash. I finished high school in 2005 and studied Cert IV in Graphic Design at TAFE. I then met my husband and we worked together in our plumbing business. Last year due to the GFC we were forced to close the business and each find work in separate industries. My husband now works as a Plumbing Estimator and I work part time at the Newport Marina as an Office Administrator.

I have a strong interest in politics. Mainly I'm a passionate advocate for the average Australian being heard. I am a member of the YLNP ( Young Liberal National Party) and enjoy being an active part in my local electorate. I am currently assisting the state candidate for Pummicestone Lisa France with her campaign. I love having time out to think and analyse; admittedly I think to much sometimes. I enjoy photography, scrapbooking, reading, the outdoors, and have a new found love for gardening.

Over the last few years I have often thought about studying Journalism to further pursue my passion for writing and telling people's stories. After recent surgery I realised there is no time like the present and decided to grab the bull by the horns. Anyway before this starts to sound like a RSVP.com add I better get going.

Hope to get to know you all better in the tutes!

Tash



Watching Game 3 of the Origin with my bird Desmond.